Door open for Willie Randolph's return to the Yankees

Apparently we're not the only ones thinking Willie could be first in line for the third-base coaching vacancy. GAKIII writes today that the firing of Bobby Meacham shows "the honeymoon between Joe Girardi and the Yankees is officially over." Joel Sherman concurs, and feels the firing was not just about Meacham, but about Girardi also.

King describes how Meacham is a close personal friend of Girardi's, to the point where he lived with the manager during the season. He adds that Rob Thomson "could be moved to third with the Yanks hiring a veteran bench coach to assist Girardi." This all seems to point to Randolph, one way or another. King also expresses the downside to hiring Willie:

One drawback to hiring Randolph as a coach is that he would be linked to the manager's job if the Yankees were to fire Girardi next year. And if Girardi gets boxed and Randolph doesn't get the job, the backlash from Yankees fans would be severe.

That situation would be akin to Don Mattingly under Joe Torre. There was a faction of Yanks fans that took it as a slight on Mattingly that he didn't get the job over Girardi. If the Yanks fired Girardi and Randolph didn't get the job, there would be legions of similarly upset fans. The Yanks don't seem to base hiring decisions on public perception, but it is probably a thought that will at least cross their collective mind.

For his part, Randolph said he plans to "keep an eye on managing," but that he is going to "wait and see" what his options are. Brian Cashman wouldn't comment on the details behind why Meacham was let go (not that we need him to). Joel Sherman writes on his blog that "It was not hard to make a case against Meacham." But as far as a potential replacement, he told King: "The [replacement] field is open, let's put it that way. We could stay inside or go outside. We are putting together a list of candidates." Sherman notes that this firing gives the club a chance to hire someone who can help Girardi more.

Is there any other baseball town where the firing or hiring of a third-base coach gets so much press?

Speaking of which, Tim Dierkes has penned an "Offseason Outlook" for the Yankees over at MLBTradeRumors.com. He writes, "If the Yankees somehow sign Sabathia, Teixeira, and another starter, they'll be looking fantastic for 2009. It could be done if payroll is in the $200-210MM range again... Bottom line: it looks like most of the money will be spent on starting pitching, but Teixeira would sure look nice in pinstripes."